Mainstreaming fair trade: adoption, assimilation, appropriation

Alliances and Networks: Creating Success in the UK Fair Trade Market

“…Having close relationships with fair trade licensed, developing world producers and assisting in their growth through higher prices and community projects b. Influencing change in the current market system to improve conditions and income across the entire market (Davies, 2007) In the mainstreaming literature, the intention of the fair trade companies is identified as having shifted from targeting consumers based on purely ethical reasoning to a broader focus on branding and quality (Low and Davenport, 2006;Moore, 2004;Nichols and Opal, 2005;Wilkinson, 2007). As part of this we also see a shift in ethical decision-making as commercial pressure to sell more volume (purpose 1) impinges upon the ideological purpose (purpose 2) of the fair trade companies (Davies and Crane, 2003).…”

“…Despite its public perception of being almost like a charity (Mintel, 2004), many fair trade organisations are, in-fact, profit seeking organisations (Davies andCrane, 2003, Moore, 2004). Similarly brands are now aimed at targeting mainstream customer groups and compete head-to-head for shelf space with major retail brands (Low and Davenport, 2006;Moore, 2004;Nichols and Opal, 2005;Wilkinson, 2007). Therefore despite distribution of profits (and supply chains) differing from many businesses within their markets the processes of marketing, sales and logistics are, in principle, identical to other small, social entrepreneurial start up companies (see Mair, Robinson and Hockerts, 2006;Davies, 2007).…”

Purchase power: An examination of consumption as voting

“…Although this increases freedom of choice for their plates, and creates employment and markets for goods in developing countries, it does not necessarily improve human rights for the farmers and workers who produce those goods (Micheletti & Follesdal, 2007) and also contributes detrimentally to air miles and carbon emissions. Thus, responses to embracing the market through, for example, the mainstreaming of fair trade products (Low & Davenport, 2006) have been deemed to merely 'place more power' in the hands of dominant market players rather than effectively facilitate sustainable change. Indeed, for consumer voting to operate, individuals are required to engage with the market, be it through mainstream or alternative exchange spaces, which have the potential to create paradoxical choice situations.…”

Ethical Foodscapes?: Premises, Promises, and Possibilities

“…Two other sorts of moral complications are worthy of brief engagement here in the specific context of more ethical/moral alternative foods. First, as many have pointed out in many different academic and practical contexts (eg Goodman et al, forthcoming; Low and Davenport, 2006;Raynolds, 2009), alternative foods have hit the mainstream and done so with a vengeance. Organic, fair trade and local foods are now regular, and even own-label-brand, fare at most supermarkets, farmers' markets are popping up everywhere, organic food delivery companies are expanding rapidly as massive businesses (5) The point here is that, as illustrated in work from, for example, Kneafsey et al (2008), Miele (2010), and Puig de la Bellacasa (2010), care as an ethical/moral driver in food networks is not left simply to the moment of consumption/shopping nor only to consumers (cf Barnett et al, 2005;Clarke et al, 2007;Miller, 2001), nor is it only cultivated and experienced in so-called alternative food networks.…”